Easy Chocolate Granola… because JOY matters

Rise and shine! It’s time for a scrumptious bowl of homemade chocolate hazelnut granola, so sit down at our table and let’s catch up. It’s been quite some time since Pablo and I have been here. I’m thrilled to be back, and have thought long and hard about what it is I am looking to do here, what I aspire to do in this space. So here it goes. What I would love is to…

Welcome you to our kitchen and at our table

This blog is above all a sharing, conversation space, where we exchange ideas, cultures, recipes, fun stories, parenting and human moments, struggles and successes, our love for good food, for our families, for life. In these isolated times, may this place be a sort of virtual table, where we gather and get to know each other. As I always tend to, I will talk too much 😉 But I also want to listen and learn from you.

Cook together

Obvious, perhaps. But especially over this past year, I have found the act of championning someone else’s cooking (or any other act of care or self-care, for that matter) to be such a meaningful and connecting act, whether it is for children experimenting in the kitchen, or friends simply wanting to enjoy good meals with their family. Championning fellow humans and celebrating their sense of agency. That’s my jam (pun intended.)

One of the many things we have been cooking recently, is wild yeast sourdough bread, and I have loved helping, handholding and encouraging many friends to make their own. We have learned together, and the bond it created between us is as comforting as butter on that warm slice of homemade bread. Sometimes, such endeavors are daunting. Tiredness, mental load kicks in. And all we need, is someone to take our hands, and tell us how to do it. And then champion us when we do it! That’s where I come in, if you need it. It is one of the ways I find fulfillment and purpose. And friendship, and connection, always.

Cultivate together the JOY of cooking and eating

What’s joy got to do with it? Well, you know, those dreaded “shoulds”? “I should cook more.” “My kids should eat more broccoli.” “We should eat healthier.” I have only one response: killjoy. I’ve learned to be weary of “shoulds” and chose joy instead. And joy is so often contagious. I hope sharing our joy and enthusiasm for cooking and eating, our love of good food, of good conversation around the table, of togetherness, the wonder of that perfect bite, of that new recipe experiment, will be contagious, so your family may share in that same joy and connection over some good meals.

Be a reliable, trustworthy ressource

I want to create community by sharing what’s been useful to our family, our menus and meal plans, tips and practical advice, awesome recipes by other wonderful bloggers and cooks I admire, and thoughtful writings on food, respectful parenting, and life, that have helped me get through the day. If you feel stuck, because you have no idea what’s for dinner, or your children are on a hunger strike, or you just need a reminder to breathe through a good bite or sip, I’ll be here.

Convince you to try that AWESOME (and healthy, but that’s a little too”shouldy” for me) homemade chocolate granola!

What better way to lure you into joyful eating than chocolate? This homemade granola is crunchy, tasty in milk or yogurt. Or straight as a snack. It’s easy to make (mix and bake), economical (much cheaper than store-bought), eco-friendly (forget that plastic pouch you buy granola in). I mean, press print and get to your kitchen asap! You’ll be thankful you did tomorrow morning!!

I’ve lived in the US for over 20 years, and have noticed a certain amount of guilt around chocolate here, a guilt most French seem to be immune to, ourselves included! And something chocolaty for breakfast is a standard in lots of French families. Chocolate treats and snacks are often had – guilt-free and with a sort of self-righteous glee – either for breakfast, or for afternoon snack, also called “le goûter”. You might remember that chocolate pudding I had posted a while back!

While Pablo is not particularly crazy about sweets, he enjoys them reasonably, but LOVES chocolate, and this gives him his morning fix. He also loves it for afternoon snack. Incidentally, this has made a lovely homemade gift over the years, and a great offering for school sales and such. Put it in a nice jar with a tag, and you’re golden.

So go make it and tell me how you like it! I dare you 😉